Battle Royale (Japan 2000)

What an amazing film! At the end of the millenium, Japanese society has collapsed.
Fearing the youth, the Millenium Educational Reform Act is passed, also known as the
"Battle Royale." Each year, a randomly chosen class of ninth graders is chosen to
participate in the Battle Royale. Left on a deserted island with explosive collars
around their necks, the students have three days to kill each other off, with the
last one standing earning his or her freedom. "Okay class, today's lesson is -
survival..." Some students form alliances, hoping
for a peaceful solution. Some commit suicide. Some desperately try to undermine and
break the system, hoping to win their freedom through terrorism. Some are in denial, and
some lash out at everyone they see. And some of them are there for fun... And so, for the
next two hours you get to see a group of 40 desperate teenagers killing each other
off in a frenzied attempt to win the game. When it finally comes down to the two main
characters, who is going to survive?

A very well made film with a very dark and nasty sense of humor. The "Battle Royale" training
video that the students are forced to watch is wickedly amusing. The film does
an excellent job of capturing the very essence of teen angst, featuring overly
melodramatic dialog and a completely over-the-top musical score . It's also
shockingly and graphically brutal, causing me to jump out of my seat on several
occasions. While I don't understand it, I found a sick fascination in watching
attractive teenagers kill each other. (time for therapy, perhaps?)
It's also quite satisfying if you like
girls 'n' guns action, since the girls in the film are arguably more violent than
the boys, and have no qualms when it comes to pulling the trigger (whereas almost all
of the boys are impotent with their weapons). Things sort of fall
apart towards the end, but the film never fails to be interesting.
While it's not for all tastes, "Battle Royale" is a truly awe-inspiring
action/horror film as well as a fascinating character study and a biting commentary on
society. Check it out.